My Princess is a Prince
by whitedove135
Summary: Sumino Hikage isn't a timid girl, but a charismatic tomboy! Disguised as a male in a medieval kingdom known as Zenelyn, she stands tall as a protege female  healer. A young man named Hinata falls in love with her, but mistakenly believes she is a boy?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Important Note!- I do not own Koko ni Iru Yo, nor any of the other works of Tooyama Ema. Also, Zenelyn is a place of my own creation.**

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><p><em><strong>"Please wait, my lady!"<strong>_

A small girl's black-slippered feet pounded the dirty cement floor of a narrow alleyway. Her eyes strained for a hideout in the dim light of the setting sun. Shadows crept from every aspect of her vision, and a stench, which she was unused to as she had lived in luxury, assailed her nostrils.

"Hikage-sama must return to the villa at once!" cried her thin-haired servant from far behind. "Milord will be most displeased!" The butler worried his good luck charm, a handkerchief, in his rough hands. He looked reluctant to enter the filthy residential area.

The little girl shook the dark brown hair out of her startlingly blue eyes, then firmly grasped the window ledge of an apartment and heaved her weight up, ignoring the cries warning her of her father's wrath that she was sure to endure once she returned home. "Quiet, Ham-Ham!" Hikage hissed, using the nickname for her servant, Hamada, whenever she was ticked. "This is my big chance, like you once mentioned, isn't it?"

Hamada flinched, then dabbed his sweating face and walrus moustache with his handkerchief. "B-but, my lady," he choked, while beadily eyeing her advance up the alley apartment, "to be a healer… 'tis absurd!" Hamada shook his head dramatically, then sighed. "Hikage-sama is a girl, and a female healer is quite inappropriate and unheard of in this country, believe me…" Hamada quickly gathered a small amount of courage and reluctantly grabbed Hikage's foot, which dangled high above from a balcony. "Come now," he said nervously, "we must hurry to the villa, or we'll both await punishment from milord-"

"No!" she barked. Hikage held onto the rusted iron bars with all her might. Hamada plucked off her right ballet flat with a puff of exertion. For good measure, Hikage kicked him squarely in the nose. "Sorry!" Hikage said with a leer, then scrambled across the surface of the building like Spider Man.

"Hikage-sama!" Hamada's cries became faint as she swung into a nearby open window.

Once inside the room, she dusted off her clothes and made note of a bluish-white light illuminating the room across the hall.

"Please, a child has climbed up there! Won't you help me, mister?"

At this, Hikage clicked her tongue in annoyance and quietly slid the window shut. She watched through the dirty glass as a passing man, a noble, she presumed, kicked out at Hamada. Hikage felt a brief glimmer of pity for her ex-butler, but continued with more important matters- to exit this residence without a single sound of alarm and head on her way.

She yanked off the one slipper she had left and stuffed it into the leather satchel at her side, then crawled on hands and knees through the dark doorway with the softest shuffle. Hikage breathed shallowly through her nose, and once she saw that it was all clear, she slowly began to get up.

**THUD.** A blood-stained steel instrument dug itself deep into the carpet where her foot had been placed a nanosecond before. Immediately Hikage could see that it was a pole arm, and a beautiful one at that, with a jeweled blue rose set behind its deadly center dagger. The wielder of the magnificent weapon was a woman in a long, red dress fit for an elven queen, with its ruffling primrose sleeves and red-laced bodice.

"My, my," the woman rasped. Hikage couldn't see her expression, for a hood hid the upper half of her face, and only her mouth was visible; it was clear that she had flowing raven locks.

The pole arm's sharp point made a trail up the front of Hikage's blouse. "And I just got rid of a pest too," the woman said in exasperation while keeping a firm hold on her weapon.

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><p><strong>Note: <strong>This is the shortest entry I've ever posted (lol). Hahaha, but I really like short writings like these. I'm trying to improve on this. Sometimes shorter sentences give out the clearest picture, right?

Anyway, I can't wait to continue with the story! :D Sorry that Hinata or Teru didn't make their appearances yet, but it'll happen in Chapter 1 (technically Chapter 2, but okay).

Ahh, and please tell me if there are any grammatical mistakes or other errors please! :D


	2. Mistake

**Mistake**

**Author Note: Sorry that I did not mention before, but this fanfiction will have mild shounen ai (boys love).  
>...Well, kind of mild. But it will be strictly T, so don't fret!<strong>

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><p>Hikage heard a loud noise rattle her teeth. Her eyes popped open in surprise, but what was most shocking was what her assistant was doing.<p>

"B-Bunko, are you making advances in my sleep again?" she sighed while shoving off the snickering blonde in nurse's robes. Bunko had attempted once again to peek beneath Hikage's shirt.

The blonde nurse shrugged and hid her laughter with a small hand. "Excuse me," she said with a devious grin, "I had to check. It's quite a shame though; with your handsome looks and intelligence, you'd beat any man out there…" Bunko pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "Also, it wasn't me who woke you up, but your own snoring." She began to crush a few leaves that would eventually make up a poultice for a new patient with inflamed skin. "Nice going, Hikage-sensei."

"Oh, shush," Hikage mumbled. She inconspicuously checked the wraps around her chest, then quickly redid the buttons with a flourish of one hand. Hikage stretched real deep, for there was work to be done that wouldn't allow her to rest more than a few hours around the clock.

She briefly inspected the few patients she had in her outdoor quarters; since it was a warm and mostly mild day to begin with, Hikage had moved them to the courtyard for some fresh air. They seemed quite content, which was more than the effect Hikage had hoped for. She smiled as a five-year-old girl timidly held out a violet to a bedridden adolescent girl.

Hikage treated a man who had undergone a larynx operation from the eccentric surgeons at the next street over with a few drops of heartwarming potion and a good deal of magical energy. After giving the medicine with an eyedropper, Hikage placed a hand on the man's throat and summoned a healing blue light. The energy illuminated the patient's face in an almost fantastical, ethereal way, then faded away like an echoing voice in the lonely mountains.

"Oh yes," said Bunko once she had sent off a patient that was fully cured from his bronchitis, and now she shook the small amount of gold in the dirty pouch the man had given her, "did you hear about the tsunami in Letticia?" Bunko frowned as she placed the money into a larger bag full of other satchels and pouches. "It seems the marine gods weren't in good humor, so they smashed the coast line with a powerful wave or two. Isn't that cruel?"

Hikage smiled ruefully, a habit of hers when Bunko talked too much. "It is…." she agreed lukewarmly, then became worried. "Do you think it will turn on Terra Tine? How will we move the patients?" She mulled this over while listening to an elderly woman's heart beat.

"I think not," said Bunko while welcoming a man with a deep cut on his arm. She herself took the task of suturing and disinfecting the incision, then made a quick transaction, and the man was off on his way again. "We're pretty far inland, so it shouldn't reach us…" Bunko shrugged and ripped the latex gloves off her hands and threw them in the trash bin. "Even if there's a flood, we could ask a mage to teleport us to safety, ya know?"

"But…" Hikage trailed off with a frown. "They'll…"

"Be busy?" the nurse interrupted with a snort. "Hell, yes. But injured persons are more important. Isn't that what you've always said? 'The patients come first.'" Bunko glared at Hikage.

Hikage returned the angry leer. "You're right. As always." She sighed, then smiled.

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><p>Once she moved the patients and their beds back into the small clinic, Hikage opened the cabinet and scrutinized the meager supply of stale medicinal herbs in their glass containers. Each jar and bottle had a liberal coat of dust on every inch of its surface. Hikage grabbed these and waved them in Bunko's nonchalant face.<p>

"What the f- is this?" she yelled. In her hand was a canister of molding (previously dried) bay leaves. "Wasn't the last master required to restock all supplies before leaving?"

Bunko's mouth twitched, and she rolled her eyes. "That is how it's supposed to be," she said, "but Nichijou-sensei was a noodle, if you know what I mean." She wrote "noodle" in kanji in the air.

The healer let out an angry puff of air. "Then you get the materials, will you? I don't really know my way around town yet." Hikage slumped over her scarred and paper-crowded table that had become hers only a few moon cycles ago. "I should have brought more elixirs if I knew this was how it was gonna be…"

"No way," Bunko declined. But then she smiled beatifically and held out an open hand. "Ah, but I'll do it if I get a week off and my pay… which has been overdue for some time."

Hikage checked the worn leather satchel she had had since she fled the lavish villa eight years ago. She found a very pitiful amount of brass coins. "Damn you, Bunko," she sobbed, while she stuffed her bag away in the filing cabinet. "Nichijou-sensei was either too nice or really stupid for giving you such a large pay." Hikage dabbed at her eyes in imitation of Hamada, her ex-servant. "Now I have to pay you the same, and _I'm_ the one with low wages…" She went on and on about not having enough people coming in to be treated, and how she wanted to secretly stab all "professional" surgeons with _her_ rusty scalpel for stealing away the competition.

The nurse giggled, then glared from behind her veil. "Not falling for that one." She whisked herself out of the clinic. " 'Kay, day's over, I'm gonna play now. Today's Auntie's birthday, so there'll be lots of food and cake. See ya!"

Hikage lunged from behind the counter, but was too slow. She hadn't exercised properly in years, after all. Hikage wound up doubled over and sweating by the time she reached the doorway. Approximately seventy-two seconds for fifty meters. Record time.

She sighed and trudged back inside, stopped to grab a lightweight hooded cloak, leather gloves, and her satchel. Hikage grinned at the patients who slept overnight, who she called neighbors, since she herself lived in the clinic, always watching them from the apartment above.

"Nite, everyone!" she said quietly, and slowly dimmed the lights until there was only a single softly glowing overhead lantern. Hikage then slipped the cloak on over her shoulder and lifted the hood.

Outside was quite dark; the giant clock tower had trilled the ninth hour about forty-five minutes ago. Hikage walked with her head lowered; she had trained herself to do so, since she was no longer a noble once she had disobeyed her parents' wishes for her to become a flower of the court. She laughed bitterly to herself; Hikage had wanted this career since her diagnosis years ago. At the age of four, her father had noticed a strange behavior pattern reoccurring through out Hikage's days, and thus brought her to a hospital for a screening. The doctors were clueless; it was something they could not detect with machines and sharp metal instruments. But then a withered, old man dragged himself out of his room, his hospital clothes giving away that he himself was a patient, and stooped down to Hikage's eye level.

He laughed, a hoarse but merry sound. "You are gifted with the art of magic, young one," the elder whispered so that only she could hear, and patted the child's head gently. "That's why these strange people with masks can't find out what it is." His eyes twinkled greatly. "But I'm special, so I can see it." Hikage nodded her head happily.

She touched the hand placed on her head. It was very thin, and looked like skin-colored plastic wrapped around bones. The veins were very prominent and bluish, and some parts of the skin were dark purple, as if underneath it was bleeding profusely. Hikage traced it gently with a small index finger. "Did you fall and bruise your hand?" she asked in concern.

The elderly man chuckled. "No, no, I didn't fall." His eyes began to glaze. "This happens when you get old and sick, like me."

Hikage's eyes grew wide and fearful. "Old and sick?" she repeated with a gasp. "Can you turn _not_ old and sick?"

He smiled. "I can't do that," he said, and patted her head again. "And it's alright, I've lived too long anyway."

Hikage seized the old man's hand. "S'okay, Ojii-chan!" she yelled. "Hikage will make it all better!" A tiny flash of light sparked from their joined hands.

"Make it… better?" The old man looked surprised, and held his hand to his face.

"Feels good, huh?" Hikage laughed. She puffed out her cheeks with pride.

His hand looked almost unchanged from afar, but upon closer inspection, his hand seemed a shade or two less purple. The old man laughed and hugged the little girl, and a few tears escaped his crinkled eyes. "Thank you, and may the gods bless your path," he said fervently before Hikage's father decided to intervene the lovely little scene with a few firm words.

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><p>"Oops."<p>

Hikage stooped down and plucked a square piece of paper that she had dropped, a roughly drawn map of locations around the fields of Terra Tine, from the muddy grass. The heel of her boots sunk deeper the longer she stood in a single spot, and brown murky water swirled at the bottom of each of her footprints; the weight of her foot squeezed the liquid from the mud.

"Hmm…" she pondered aloud, "this area is very damp. Is there a marsh in the vicinity?" Hikage perused the lay of the land, and she found nothing of the sort, but fully healthy eucalyptus trees and wildly unkempt hedges. Some species of eucalyptus were used for the drainage of swampy areas, but did not affect the topsoil, so it was not unusual to have a few puddles here and there.

She made note of this on the tiny paper for reference, and after peeling a few slabs of bark and a pocketful of leaves from the eucalyptus, Hikage then followed the lines on the map to look for a medicinal flower called cat's whiskers.

"A member of the mint family," she mumbled as she walked to the blue dot on the map. "Produces white or bluish-purple buds, and when blooming, a long spike… wha?"

Hikage raised her head with her ears perked. A series of strange noises like whimpers were approaching from up ahead. _Wolves? _Hikage's mouth became dry, and she immediately dived into a nearby bush.

Ignoring the stinging of the hedge's pointy leaves, Hikage watched as a pack of wolves lunged down the small incline she had just climbed. Each wolf pelt was a unique splash of personality, with its charismatic sandy yellows and smart aleck deep reds, and each one Hikage saw flashing past was bristled in fright.

"What's got you spooked, pups?" she whispered. Hikage crawled cautiously out of shelter and stole a glance from the way the wolves came. Nothing looked out of place. It was just eucalyptus all in front of her, and a muddy dirt path.

She wrinkled her nose. There was, however, an oily odor wafting from that direction. It sang of ripe fish and filthy pond water that needed changing.

Hikage merely shrugged and continued on her hunt for cat's whiskers. When she finally found the plant, she clipped a few stems and placed them in her satchel, then swiped a hand over her brow.

"Wow," she said quietly, "it's really late. I'd better turn in for the night."

Hikage rose to her feet and stretched her back as thoroughly as a dog would after a nice, long nap. "Don't want mosquitoes to make a feast out of me… I've given them a large enough snack as is." She restrained herself from reaching a hand out of her cloak to scratch the reddening welts on her arms and legs, then realized she could use eucalyptus for insect repellent, but eventually decided against it.

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><p>SHHHHHshhhhhSHHHHHshhh…<p>

A loud sound in the backdrop had been on Hikage's mind for the past hour. "Just what is that noise?" she asked as she spun around. The earth groaned beneath her feet, and she stumbled sideways and collided painfully into a tree. The air in her lungs came out with a single, dramatic _whoosh_.

Hikage clung onto the trunk, and the pounding of water got closer and closer. Her mouth hung slightly open in fascination and horror.

_The flood? _

Before she could think of a dozen scenarios in which she would stay stuck to the tree in cowardice and perish from drowning, Hikage tore from the undergrowth and raced in the direction of Terra Tine. Survival was the number one priority, and after that came to warning the townspeople and transporting the patients to safety. Also, Hikage must warn Bunko; even though they argued each day since Nichijou-sensei abandoned his clinic, they were still good friends, though they never shared much of their personal lives.

"Gah!"

Hikage toppled over a protruding tree root and toppled to the ground in pain. She cradled her throbbing ankle with increasing panic. _Oh no… did I twist it? _A plume of despair rose in her heart. Even though it was true that she was a healer, the sign she ruled over was fire, an element most advantageous in the day. Currently it was night, and the bright, reassuring silver moon did no help to sooth Hikage's pain.

"Dammit," she panted. Hikage clutched the tree root and slowly pulled herself to her feet. She staggered and groaned when she placed her full weight on the injured foot.

Hikage began to laugh bitterly. The roar of water filled her ears; the volume of liquid coming at her was incomprehensible… How far and how long would it be until her pitiful death?

She sunk to the ground and waited until the water arrived with its shinigami-like presence. A behemoth wave violently smacked through the tree she was clutching onto, and Hikage was thrust into a pitch black noiseless unconsciousness…

_I give up._

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><p>Father raised his hand to slap Hikage once more. "You will not leave this house!" he roared and swung dangerously at her head. Hikage dodged it fearfully and cowered behind the legs of a cushioned chair. Father then ground his teeth and seized a nearby lamp by its cover and chucked it at his child's feet. It shattered and glass skittered all along the floor.<p>

"Darling, please stop!" a woman with Hikage's dark hair and slender figure cried from the door way. In her trembling hands was a small and easily concealed silver handgun. She held the gun with the purpose to protect the daughter she so dearly loved, but she could not even manage to pull the safety latch.

Father hissed at his wife, "Shut up, wench! I will not allow this type of behavior from Hikage!" He heaved the chair onto the fluffy duvet of the bed and grabbed Hikage by her hair. "Now, tell me," he said fervently, and Hikage cringed at his breath, which was laced with alcoholic drink, "will you defy your parents' wishes? The only request in this life they've ever asked of you?"

Hikage shuddered; her father's mad eyes wouldn't leave hers. She felt very weak, so weak that her existence was a little speck in comparison to this outraged man before her eyes.

"Living a life of luxury and wealth, that is very fortunate, very miraculous indeed! Yet here you are, stupid child, misbehaving in front of the king's council, and spouting nonsense how your dream is to be a healer?" Father dragged Hikage out from underneath the desk and Mother screamed. "You are putting the Sumino family to shame!"

_Shame! _

That word struck Hikage powerfully and rendered her defenseless. Tears began to trickle from her eyes against her will. She clutched the cover on the bed weakly.

"Ha, cry!" Father scoffed. His firm grip on her hair did not lessen. "Children are lucky; they only need to shed a few drops of liquid from their eyes in order to forget their terrible ordeals." He grabbed a half full wine bottle and raised it over Hikage's crumpled form on the floor. "Now feel your punishment!"

"Stop!" Mother cried, and a shot rang out. The bullet dug itself into Father's shin and he cursed as he fell to the ground and blood spots bloomed on his white pants.

Hikage took this chance as an escape and dashed to the open window and hurriedly shoved the long drapes to the side, then lifted her foot to the ledge. Father twisted around and barked at Hamada, who had been watching the scene nervously, without an idea of what to do. "You fool! Pursue her!"

Hamada bowed clumsily and ran after the little girl. "Yes, milord! I will fetch Hikage-sama immediately!"

Hikage gasped as she watched Father smash the wine bottle intended for her over Mother's head instead. The reddish-purple beverage splashed all over Mother's lovely dress… Mother did not seem fazed at all, but waved quickly at Hikage to leave. A tear escaped her eye, and Hikage sobbed in reply.

_Goodbye. And thank you._

She ducked Hamada's strong arms and slid down the roof. The shingles hurt her bottom greatly, but that didn't matter, since Hamada was right on her heels.

Hikage slipped off the roof and was suspended in air briefly, then began to hurl towards the earth. She shut her eyes and felt her body experience a crushing pressure from the force of gravity…

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><p>"Wow, is she really not waking up yet? It's been a full two hours, hasn't it?"<p>

Hikage felt someone lift her eyelids, and a searing white light filled her vision.

"It looks like she'll be conscious soon! This is great, Teru!"

Her stomach hurt incredibly, and her eyes opened quickly. It was still dark.

"Woah, watch out Hinata!" cried a low male voice. There was a loud thud and the shuffle of cloth.

Hikage vomited a fountain of foul water and the remains of her last meal. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with a leather gloved hand and coughed as she staggered to her feet. Her ankle throbbed and her legs gave way, but a pair of sturdy hands steadied her.

In the light of a bright alchemy lantern, Hikage could see that the young man who held her was a good deal taller than her with darker brown hair than she. Next to him was another fellow with untidy sandy blond hair, and it was he who had held the white light to her eyes, she thought with a hint of annoyance.

"Well," said the young man who held her, "I see you've regained consciousness!" A beaming smile lit up his handsome face. He bowed elegantly, which could only belong to a noble. "Don't be afraid, my lady. We are just… passing by." He laughed heartily and easily. "My name is Hinata, and this gentleman is Teru. Might I ask your name?"

_My lady. _It sent a strange feeling up Hikage's spine. She hadn't heard that in a long, long while. It felt very alien.

_Wait… how does he know that I am a girl?_

Hikage bowed in return, and Hinata looked on with confusion. Why did she not curtsey?

She quickly checked her attire. Nothing remotely about her soggy and damp clothing gave away her female figure, which was miraculous, considering she had been floating in raging waters… Hikage frowned. Was it because her facial features were feminine-looking? She had always regarded herself as "handsome", as in having a masculine face… Maybe she and Bunko missed the mark when they joked about how Hikage could fool all the men and women in the kingdom and not a single person would question her gender bender...

"Pardon me for being so rude, sir," Hikage said quickly, "but I am a man." She bowed her head.

Hinata and Teru looked surprised, but then looked understanding as they looked at the cross symbol on Hikage's robes. "You're a healer," said Teru, and held out the lantern to examine Hikage closely. Hikage squinted at the painful light and shielded her eyes.

Hinata flushed and bowed twice. "O-our apologies, sir," he stammered, apparently flustered at his grievous mistake. "Anyway, would you like to take a ride with us to our residence? It is not too far from here, and it would be dangerous to send you out again, as the wave has not finished receding yet."

_The flood! _Hikage remembered, and she grabbed Hinata's dark blue sleeve as he helped her into their carriage. "H-has the tide reached Terra Tine, by any chance?"

Hinata's eyes looked serious and downcast at the same time. "I'm afraid so."

Hikage sat on the cushioned seat across from Hinata, and Teru gently closed the carriage door. It could be heard that he was soothing the spooked horses and clambering onto a saddle.

"Oh," she whispered, and dropped her gaze to her hands.

The young man across from her placed a big, warm hand on hers and reassured her with his gentle, hazel eyes. "If you have family there, would you like to contact them once you've rested?"

Hikage mumbled, "M-my neighbors."

"Neighbors?" Hinata pronounced _neighbors _like a foreign word. So he was a noble then. Because nobels do not have neighbors; their jealousy of other nobles' possessions can get a little dangerous at times.

"Ah, I mean, my patients…." Hikage said slowly. She suddenly began to cry.

Hinata lifted her chin with a finger, then wiped her tears away and smiled. "I'm sure they have made it to safety, and your assistants as well."

_That's right… Bunko…_

"You look particularly young for a healer. Wow, younger than me, perhaps?" Hinata chuckled while ruffling Hikage's hair, the same way one would treat a young child.

Hikage smiled a bit. "Yeah."

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><p><strong>Author Note: This chapter came out longer than I expected... ^^;;;; Huh. But I'm really glad with the outcome!<br>Hmm.. I'll work on the next chapter later. xD xD Thank you for reading!**


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